


Face Our Fears

by Moonlight91



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Enchanted Forest AU, F/M, Rescue Mission, Rumbelle Christmas in July 2017, Second Chance, floof family, minor mad mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-06 02:05:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11590722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlight91/pseuds/Moonlight91
Summary: RCIJ Prompt for @TheChloris: A Fresh Start, Happy BeginningSet after the events of The Outsider flashback: Belle goes back to Rumpelstiltskin and together they look alternative solutions to search for Baelfire.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

"I should go now," replied Belle as she stood up to clean off the dust from her vest while adjust her scarf. "There is a monster of my own which I must vanquish." A week ago, the possibility of Belle returning back to the Dark Castle became absurd. Saving Prince Philip from both the curse of the Yougaui and the wrath of the mob gave her a new sense of courage than the nineteen year old noblewoman ever considered.

If she could find the means to save the Eastern region, then it is possible to save Rumpelstiltskin from his self-induced curse.

"Wait" stated Prince Philip causing Belle and Mulan to focus their on him. "You can't just go back into the woods this late." He then looks back at Mulan still on the ground, then back at Belle. "Besides, we must take Lady Mulan back to be healed. I could not in good consciousness allow myself to leave the both of you in an unknown state."

Both Mulan and Belle smiled at the chivalrous attitude of their new friend. Belle then took a better look at Mulan noticing the full extent of Mulan's injury; she couldn't call herself a hero by leaving behind the one person who truly believed in her in a vulnerable position.

Mulan intervened: "My family's farm is close by, you guys can stay there for the time being until my leg gets better. My family is really hospitable and Philip can take you whenever you are ready."

They all agreed in Mulan's idea and headed to her village with Philip carrying Mulan in tow. The trio reached the Fa Farm greeted by a younger boy and girl who hugged Mulan to tight nearly causing Philip to stumble when he tried to get her down, a middle aged couple and an older woman who Mulan eagerly introduced as her parents, grandmother and younger siblings. It had not taken long for the older women to fawn over Philip as Belle noticed Mulan would become embarrassed as her great-grandmother constantly assumed Philp was her beau to the point of asking questions over what the plans of their wedding will be. It had not taken long for the Belle and Philip to be accepted into the family. The younger children were very welcoming of the guests as Philip was always playing with them as Belle entertained the children with stories. Although Belle had trouble conversing with the elders due to dialect differences, Philip needed to constantly either point or ask Mulan whenever he needed a direct translation.

Belle was surprised when she learned about the supportive attitude Mulan's parents enacted towards her decision to join the army especially after she learned how Mulan would have risked imprisonment if her identity was revealed. It seemed even though Mulan was given a high honor by the Emperor, she was still met with scorn and distrust by the rest of the village where if it weren't for the respect they had for her father, Mulan would have altogether left to relieve them of any public embarrassment. Even though Mulan had not wanted to elaborate, it was evident to Belle how Mulan only wants the best for her family. At times Belle wanted defended her friend against the gossip by pointing out the town's hypocrisy but Mulan reassured her that the gossip no longer bothered her. Throughout the remainder of the week, Philip and Belle repaid their hospitality working at the farm and helping around the house. Mulan amused herself hearing her companions talk about their experiences in manual labor as they poor cleaned around the kitchen leading to some inside jokes about pampering Mulan as she became their taskmaster. The constant pampering lead to Mulan to regain her health allowing begin sparring practices with Philip as Belle would point out one of them was losing their technique.

In time, Philip revealed his story about being engaged to the Princess Aurora of Dornroschen. Due to the king and queen offending the sorceress Maleficent, the sorceress cast a spell throughout the kingdom where Aurora placed herself in a sleeping curse in order to keep the kingdom yet Maleficent transformed Philip into a Yougaui for further leverage then placed the sleeping princess in a mausoleum with a wall of deadly thorns leaving Dornroschen in a hopeless state. Belle's heart broke as Philip told his story. What she found most admirable about the young prince was his constant optimistic attitude. It wasn't denying reality as one would have assumed but instead Philip would go out of his way to make sure everyone around him even they were not in a good mood conduct a smile a few moments later.. He was given a grunt of the work and never bothered complaining even when letting everyone know he did do manual labor during his time in his father's army. Belle would always see Mulan laughing as Philip would nurse back to health by telling the girls corny jokes or ridiculous stories. Those times would allow Belle to smile where she hoped it would be possible to one day be like Philip and try to see the world in a complete positive outlook.

One afternoon Belle walked around the garden of the farm enjoying her book as she strolled amongst the cherry blossom trees. In a moment to take in the story, she glanced back at her bookmark containing a laced mark with a rose stitched in a golden thread. Belle smiled from the memory of obtaining it as Rumpelstiltskin presented the bookmark to her as a present, supposedly giving her something consistent to use rather than twigs or the piece of parchment he would find her books. The bookmark was on her teacup one evening; however Rumpelstiltskin insisted on not being thanked as justifying the bookmarked made her life easier. She had not cared what he was telling her as his occasional glances betrayed leading Belle to cherish the bookmark when caressing the stitching as her eye could tell it was indeed homemade for precise detail.

Those were moments Belle believed there was good man underneath the scaly exterior.

"Belle!"

Belle turned finding the screams came Philip and Mulan running towards her holding a piece of paper in their hands.

The pair stopped to catch their breath when Mulan handed her the parchment. Belle looked at the parchment seeing it was a wanted poster of her by order of Queen Regina of Lilibet, while it was a serious charge, Belle couldn't help but chuckle at the how the poster mistook her eyes for green instead of blue.

"I don't understand, what this does the queen of Lilibet want with me?" I have never even met her. It took a few second for Belle to put it together who the monarch was. The woman from the forest, the one who said if I kissed Rumple then his curse would be lifted. He thought I was working for her as a means to destroy him, what does she want from me now.

"I don't know, Regina is someone who I wouldn't want to deal with" said Philip. "There have been rumors she killed her husband and framed her stepdaughter Snow White in order to stay in power. Last I heard, her relentless attempt in finding the princess has led to many villages throughout the region being massacred for even being suspected of holding Snow White sanctuary.

"Turns out the guys we met a while back have been handing these out throughout town all day with a promise of a reward for information. Luckily they saw us and left but we don't know how many of these were posted out."

"It will be only a matter of time before someone remembers seeing us around the village the past month with guards knocking at the door." Stated Philip, "We have to leave tonight so her bounty hunters aren't able to find you. If possible, we can reach Avonlea within two days."

"No" Belle interrupted. "I have to go back to the Dark Forest" she can see her two friends looking shocked when mentioning the name. "Please, I have to help the man I love, I know it sounds crazy, but I should be with him and the Queen is trying to stop me." She turned to Philip almost pleading, "You can understand this Philip." The prince looked at Mulan whose eyes began to bulge at the realization.

"Wait…your true love is the…" even Mulan couldn't finish the rest of the sentence. "Okay, uhmm, I will go and help you. Although you are always welcomed back here anytime you want."

Belle hugged Philip and Mulan nearly crying as they embraced her tighter. "Thank you guys for understanding how much this means to me."

When night fell, the trio left the farm in great haste were Belle rode with Mulan rather than acquiring a third horse. They took a quicker route towards the Llwch Mountains stopping at the tavern to give the horses rest. At the tavern, the trio made themselves popular amongst the patrons as Philip and Mulan drunkenly sang on top of the tables on a dare whilst Belle played on the pipe organs leaving the tavern into a festive mood afterwards.

As Belle spent more time with Philip and Mulan, she couldn't help but smile at seeing the pair interact with one another as it began to remind her of when she would first begin to flirt with Rumpelstiltskin to the point of being voyeuristic. She would always give them time together when needed, even making subtle hints leaving Mulan looking at Belle slightly puzzled and Philip blushing at various states confirming her suspicions. Although whenever he mentioned Aurora, Belle could see Mulan's mood change as the remembered the prince was engaged were unlike her, he loves his fiancée. Belle began picturing the Princess Aurora being a shallow and bratty royal, giving her the likeness of a baroness she remembered in court who was completely insufferable due to her pretentious behavior. Belle acknowledged these thoughts were petty where Aurora must have been a kind person for Philip to take her in high regard, however it didn't mean she had not wanted her friends to be happy but Belle needed to conclude the flirting must have been in her head.

Philip was a bit disappointed when they reached the dark forest noticing the path was clear for them. Belle revealed to them the reputation of its inhabitant made the terrain more threatening while subtly mentioning the owner is nothing like the legends that have spawned. Traveling to the mountains they made towards the entrance of the castle, Belle took a deep breath seeing the castle once again.

I've made it home

Philip and Mulan got out of their horses helping Belle get off as they looked nervous at her.

"Are you sure you still want to do this?" Declared Philip, "what if you're mistaken how he feels for you?"

"I am absolutely certain how he feels about me; he let me go once before because he is afraid to face the truth about us." Despite Belle explaining it to them, Mulan and Philip were still uncertain about Belle's declaration because of its fantastic absurdity. Belle then felt something in her pocket causing her to remember its content. "I can't ever thank you enough for helping me, you two have been great friends. Although what will you guys do?"

"I have to go back to my kingdom, my father probably thinks I'm dead after all this time. I also have to think of a better plan to help Aurora." He turned to Mulan. "What about you?"

"I don't know, my parents always said I was wasting my time back in the village. Maybe this was chance I needed to fully leave. She said defeated "I can always offer my services as a sell-sword I guess."

"Come with me." Philip took Mulan's hand surprising both the women. "We can always use another commander in my father's army." The prince hesitated for a minute before standing tall, "and what better partner to help than one of the warriors who saved my life."

"I was trying to kill you!" Mulan pointed out causing Belle to giggle.

"Will you come back with me or not?"

"Okay fine, your technique needs improvement anyway." Mulan smiled quickly changing back to her stoic expression.

Belle handed Mulan a brooch with her family's crest engraved on it. "Should you need to be in Avonlea, show my father this and he will reward you with whatever you wish."

"but Belle, this is unnecessary," Mulan tried handing the brooch back but Belle refused it.

"I insist, you never know if it will bring you good luck." She smiled winking back at Philip drying her tears. "Both of you promise me that you will take care of each other. It would be a pity if the sword practicing finally ends." Belle smiled as Philip chuckled.

"You know we will be fine. I hope you save your beast" stated Philip as they hugged Belle.

"And I hope you save your princess." The trio said their goodbyes with Philip and Mulan gathering on their horses riding the opposite direction. Belle watched them shrink within the distance until they no longer were within her sight.

She shed a tear seeing her friends ride off hoping one day they will meet again.

Head held high, Belle turned around seeing the Dark Castle surrounded by vines in the front just as it was left before. The wards recognized her leaving her able to enter with ease. The last obstacle came with the front doors still maintaining the lion handles that always lead her to believe that it would eat her hand out.

Please Rumple, please believe in us. Belle said in her head over and over, taking a deep breath. She opened the door, unsure of what awaited her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

The curtains were opened.

Belle always thought the interior of the castle looked better in the light with the afternoon sun reflecting from the mountains. Her theory was proven when she noticed the knickknacks within the foyer were shown in a better lightening. The table was inviting with the laced tablecloth and vase filled up with elaborate lilies. Belle smiled at the notion of Rumpelstiltskin kept her decoration suggestions when he called them silly.

She looked at the walls; the tapestries and paintings were still in its usual place without any alterations where it gave her the creeping sensation of the portraits coming to life with the eyes looking down at her. There was a difference in the center where the portrait of a young man gallant and fair standing tall in his regal red and gold uniform next to his white horse ready for battle was now replaced by a portrait that contained a group of people dancing at a country manor in the afternoon without a care in the world. Belle felt a twinge of sadness as she had a fondness for that portrait, believing the soldier was the youngest prince of a dozen children who never was appreciated by his father, joined the military in the hopes of becoming a hero through the campaigns. For the new portrait, there wasn’t any focus on any particular person and the people continued to swirl in the dance movement giving the impression the subjects all mixed.

The glass cabinet was missing several pieces of its china leaving the wall near empty; however the disturbing puppets occupied their space leaving Belle with a shudder at their dreadful sight. In a closer inspection towards the reflection, Belle caught a shocking sight across the room.

_The chipped cup!_

Belle ran seeing the chipped cup on top of the stone pedestal, the cup had not lost any of its lusters, and the small chip towards the front still gave the object all of its qualities. She still couldn’t believe the cup was intact and placed on an esteemed part of the castle as the stone pedestals were only reverse for the most important and valuable treasures.

“Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpelstiltskin?” Belle hollered with no answer searching for the owner of the grand estate.

The first place she investigated was his bedroom, finding the room covered with dust and the sheets indicating it had not been touched in a while. Next was his laboratory, she gathered her handkerchief over her mouth when opening the door but discovered the sorcerer was nowhere to seen. Another place Belle considered the possibility had been the dungeon then froze at the thought what if he was busy torturing someone? Shuddering at the thought, Belle turned around deciding the dungeon will be in the last option. She looked up at a stack of books from a table in the corridor giving her another option that annoyed her in not thinking about it earlier.

Some part of Belle dreaded the thought of finding the library destroyed as an attempt to rid her memory; he was furious at her, but she couldn’t fathom he would cause such a decision while placing the cup in a place of value.

Shrugging off all the doubts, Belle and opened the library door.

Her library was still intact but Rumpelstiltskin used it as a workshop. The sight left her both smiling and crying.

“Rumpelstiltskin” Belle whispered enough to get his attention but he ignored her. The imp was on his spinning wheel in the middle of the library while next to him lay a pile of straw and several baskets of freshly made golden thread. In a typical fashion, he was consumed in his work that his surroundings were completely ignored. Belle slowly walked towards the center of the room hearing the sorcerer lowly muttering something intelligible causing her to quicken her pace. Just as he picked up another pile of straw to place in the spinning wheel, she placed her hand over his stunning the sorcerer as he dropped the straw and stared into Belle’s cerulean eyes ready to weep.

“Hello Rumple.” Smiling at him.

“What are you doing here? Haven’t I received my daily torture already?” Rumpelstiltskin snarled snatching his hand away from Belle jumping out of his seat. “Please just leave me be for now.”

Now Belle became confused from the unexpected greeting. “Rumpelstiltskin, it’s me.” The maid took a closer look at the sorcerer seeing his state of appearance; he was weary with the glint in his eyes faded. His clothes were bundled with waistcoats and shirts covering the collarbone instead of the open shirts he would wear whenever he was alone, and his skin has now gotten so green that it appeared to be made of stone.

However Rumpelstiltskin looked at her with sorrow leaving her with a horrid taste.

  _He thinks I’m…oh poor Rumple._

“Please Rumple, it really is me.” She reached her hand back to him. “I’m home.” Belle placed her hand over his cheek, Rumpelstiltskin slowly looked back at her. The sorcerer continued pondering with hopeful eyes when he placed his hand over hers, slowly placing his fingers over her nose towards her lips. Belle wanted to get lost in the sensation of his touch when she felt his other hand to the side of her neck.

“Is that my scarf?” the sorcerer asked getting Belle out of her daze seeing him touching the small yellow kerchief. Whenever “Belle” would come to haunt him, she would be dressed in her blue dirndl always with a blue ribbon holding her hair. This time she came before him in his clothing no less along with a sword and dagger he assumed she must have taken from him when she left. She opened her eyes seeing Rumpelstiltskin now appear taken back as he slowly began to see her.

“You’re real.” There was no question from his voice. He touched her hair again feeling it against his cheek when Belle slowly patted his head. “Belle?” The sorcerer now smiled embracing Belle. “You’re alive.”

“its okay” Belle kept repeating the notion slowly while barely breathing as the sorcerer held her in a vice grip.

“She said you were dead. That your father…” Rumpelstiltskin mentioned Regina visiting him telling him how Belle was branded a whore by her father leaving her imp and tortured by clerics then committed suicide in an act of desperation.

“Rumple, Rumple. You’re chocking me!” Belle’s voice strained through the embrace.

Rumpelstiltskin immediately pushed himself off of Belle leaving her to straighten herself. “Oh sweetheart, forgive me.” The pair left the library with Rumpelstiltskin transporting them into the den getting a bottle of wine for them, he gave her a glass along with a bowl of fruits leaving Belle parched after surviving on beef jerky and ale for nearly a month.

Belle did the math; Regina was looking for her since she suggested true love’s kiss with the knowledge of Rumpelstiltskin’s rejection leaving Belle at the mercy of the of the queen. She began to chuckle at the thought had Philip had not been so insistent, Belle would have now been sitting in a dungeon cell awaiting her fate by the malevolent queen.

“It seemed Regina underestimated everything.” She smiled. Belle told Rumpelstiltskin about her adventures in the Eastern province, the sorcerer was impressed hearing Belle battling a demon and outsmarting skilled mercenaries from the region due to her observations.

“How long do you plan on staying?” he asked pouring her another glass.

Belle halted, “I did promise you forever.”

“You know you are no longer my servant, sweetheart.”

“That is not what I meant.” Belle got up heading back to the dining room coming back a few minutes later with the chipped cup leaving the sorcerer uneased. “You could have thrown this away, broken it. You could have even destroyed my library but everything is intact. I _want_ to stay with you; I _came_ all the way I want to continue fighting for us....” Belle softly whispered leaning closer to Rumpelstiltskin ready to kiss him when he placed his finger over her lips.

“Please let me prove it to you.” She began to get up when Rumpelstiltskin got her attention.

“I want you to stay more than anything but I can’t you kiss you just yet. I need this curse in order to find my son.” Belle listened when Rumpelstiltskin at last explained the situation; she now understood the sorcerer’s attitude breaking her heart from the years he suffered while admiring his determination.

“We can find other way to be affectionate so a kiss on the lips is not the biggest worry I have. I am curious though, are you sure Regina is absolutely needed in order to rescue Baelfire. Perhaps another way to find him?”

“This spell is my only possibility.”

“Then maybe a fresh pair of eyes can help look for something you might have overlooked.” She smiled. Rumpelstiltskin kissed Belle in the forehead followed by another embrace. “How long do you want me to stay with you?”

“It’s forever Belle.”

Belle snickered remembering when Rumpelstiltskin told her nearly the same thing the first time they met. “Then forever it is. I will promise you that we will find Baelfire. I want to meet my stepson soon.”

This caused the pair to start laughing easing the tension from the room leaving Rumpelstiltskin in a relax state. “Well you will first need to dust the library as he can’t come to a castle finding the library in complete disarray.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

**Nine Months Later**

Belle woke up disoriented as the night sky shone on her through her open bedroom window allowing a nice breeze to enter causing the curtains to slightly move. Images of her dream flooded her memory hoping to maintain the images.

Her dreams were normally nothing Belle would have taken a second glance over only this time, her dreams began to frequent a young boy not much older than her with red feather covering his brown mess of a hair, his face was covered in war paint striped in red and black markings but his most distinguished features were his large brown eyes.

Eyes Belle would have recognized anywhere.

Another factor in the dream had been she kept seeing a jungle and different items continued popping in her head followed by Rumpelstiltskin’s spell book. Her hands wandered around the bed when Belle noticed the side next to her was empty. She looked at it seeing how the pillow was not slept on and the sheets were perfectly clean. Gathering her light blue robe and matching slippers, Belle left the bedroom heading into the high tower within the castle finding the door once again closed. She took the key from her robe pocket opening it while being thrilled it had not smelled of any chemicals and finding Rumpelstiltskin sleeping in the table next to several test tubes.

“Rumple, Rumple” Belle whispered placing her hands over his shoulders in an attempt to wake him.

Rumpelstiltskin lightly moaned as he looked up to find Belle smiling at him with her hair in long ringlets, robe unopen that he was able to get a good look at her silhouette though her nightgown placing his hand over Belle’s ever growing abdomen. “Has the little one kept you up again?”

Belle smiled at him placing her hands over her abdomen. “Our duckling is fine; I was just having a strange dream.” Already at six months, Belle continued obtaining energy despite the constant insistence from Rumpelstiltskin where she needed to be off her feet with hot water bottle. She refused to listen and continued working around the castle, even began setting up design ideas for the nursery.

“It’s currently the fourth night in the row you’ve slept here. Even Ariel went to bed hours ago.”

“If that blasted mermaid wants to get her voice back, summon her to continue the experiment.” Rumpelstiltskin mumbled placing his head back into the desk wanting to go back to sleep.

During one of their travels a few months previous towards the Northern seas, Rumpelstiltskin stumbled across a mute midwife named Ariel who accidentally revealed to him during the full moon the next evening she was the mermaid he was looking for. She wrote him a letter explaining her story how she fell in love with the neighboring prince but unable to tell him she was a mermaid, believed she made a deal with a sea witch for legs in an attempt to help a friend. After discovering Regina stole her voice from the double cross, Ariel began hiding between land and sea from the queen as Regina placed a price on Ariel as her scales are worth their weight in gold for many spell casters. Touched by her story, Belle suggested Ariel come live with them as her companion. When it became revealed Belle was pregnant several days later, Ariel volunteered her services as a midwife causing Rumpelstiltskin to make another deal with the redhead for her services in exchange the mermaid will regain her voice. The arrangement proved to work well as Ariel also became a part time assistant to the Dark One, constantly flirting with Jefferson leading Belle to make any excuse under the sun for them to be alone during the visits and personalized gloating to Regina for gaining a monopoly with mermaid scales.

“I’m not waking Ariel up when you can’t keep your eyes open.” Belle rolled her eyes getting a pot of tea from the pot she placed in the far section of the lab. She kept looking at Rumpel dozing off again while at the same time thinking about the dream from earlier. Belle gave Rumpel his tea from the chipped cup he loved so much looking around the lab and formed an idea.

Rumple smelled the tea and took a sip becoming surprised finding Belle running towards the beakers and turning on the heat. She starts to look at the spell books rummaging through the pages trying to find what she was looking while quickly going around the table and throughout the lab finding the ingredient she needed by placing them into the cauldron.

“Belle what are you doing?” Rumpel asked becoming more alert when he got up finding Belle holding on to his jar of eye newts.

She continues looking around the spell books “I don’t know, I had a dream earlier and these ingredients came into my head. After squeezing lemon juice into the cauldron, Belle increased the heat of the beaker letting it simmer for a bit as she turned around finding Rumpelstiltskin stacking the books causing her to quickly plucked a hair from his curly mane annoying the sleep deprived sorcerer further. Just when Rumple hurried to Belle, the cauldron simmered down and the potion created had now been complete.

“What are you doing?” Rumpel demanded gathering a second cup.

“I think I have gotten us a new solution to find Baelfire.” She goes to show the sorcerer a page revealing a location spell that can only be triggered with an ingredient of a biological imprint from the closest biological relative. Belle can see Rumple taken aback at the sudden turn of events when the cauldron formed a reaction causing a burst of yellow light to emerge towards the sky.

Belle gathered a quill and paper writing down the constellations, she wasn’t as good with astronomy but Belle tried to remember what she learned from lessons and it was easier said than done. It also had not helped that Rumpelstiltskin was behind her tapping on the beakers and leering over her.

“Rumple, can you relax? _Please_ ”

The sorcerer complied allowing Belle a few minutes of peace as she continued looking at the notes and the sky finally getting the coordinates written. It all looked like a dead language to her as the constellations were beginning to get jumbled.  “I need to go wake Ariel up because she will probably translate this better.” Belle left the laboratory heading to the room towards two doors from the library.

The sorcerer started to chuckle at the sight, “all these years and now I have a location.” He turned to Belle seeing her smile in excitement kissing her in the cheek “Thank you sweetheart.” He placed his hand once again on her stomach when he felt a surge of thumps causing Belle to nearly lose her balance. “Oh Rumple, it’s finally kicking!!” she screamed frantically

Rumpelstiltskin bent down to kiss her stomach caressing it as Belle regained her balance. “Hey there wee peanut, sorry for waking you. Your mama and I have gotten some excellent news now; we are able to finally find your brother.”

Belle smiled leaving the room, she headed to the bedroom on the first floor finding Ariel sound asleep with the blinds covered up. She woke the mermaid telling her she needed her help with a translation as they went into the laboratory. While Ariel wasn’t happy to be woken up in the middle of the night, Rumpelstiltskin assured her of compensation in which she sat down and read the notes as Belle focused on the baby’s kicking while Rumpelstiltskin tried his hardest not to scratch the table in a nervous attempt.

“I think I managed to get this done correctly.” Stated Ariel as she jumped up from the chair rapidly signaling Rumpelstiltskin in sign language that he needed to tell her to calm down before he was going to lose his mind.

Ariel took a deep breath and wrote down what she wanted to found giving the note to Belle who began reading from it. “From what I can tell, the first light is pointing towards the second star from the tipping point of the big dipper and from there its going straight onto the north until the light is turning a deep green to the heavens.

“Neverland…” he whispered. He turned directly at Ariel composing himself, “alright Ariel thank you. You can go back to bed now.” He transported her back to her room before the mermaid had a chance to say anything leaving Belle annoyed at the idea the poor girl was now confused and probably tired. Belle heard her fiancé loud enough to know what this entailed due to revealing his connection to Neverland several months back. She could see the pain in his eyes as he went around the lab pretending to look for something in an effort to avoid her.

“Are you okay?” Belle went over towards Rumpelstiltskin who tightly embraced Belle as he nuzzled is head towards her shoulders.

“I will have to go to Neverland. After all this time, I can’t be sure what to say to Bae.”

“He’ll probably be say to you why you look like a raccoon. We can try to get some sleep now and figure out how to solve this in the morning.” Taking Belle’s hands, Rumpelstiltskin kissed them followed by teleporting them straight onto the bedroom.

888888

Making the arrangements for Neverland became Rumpelstiltskin’s top priority as he continued looking over means of traveling to the mysterious island of dreams. Magic beans were so rare many suspected they no longer existed and his magical items wouldn’t guarantee the possibility of heading back. They borrowed some of Ariel’s scales in order to make a potion for the swimming technique but Ariel revealed she was a mermaid from the northern seas while the mermaids of Neverland were only specific to that land therefore Ariel’s scales and build would not have be viable towards staying there during a long period of time.

Another suggestion came in the form of contacting Jefferson for his services as his hat had the means in crossing throughout any magical realm. It had not been difficult to contact the portal jumper as he was a frequent guest of the Dark Castle to the point where Belle and Rumpelstiltskin considered themselves to be godparents of Jefferson’s eight year old daughter Grace. Jefferson considered himself loyal, but he was worried about the consequences as the hat’s magic may not work properly in a land that bend the magic to the whims of its king. It wasn’t until Rumpelstiltskin revealed to Jefferson about how Regina will come to see him within a week for a job promising a fortune where she would deceive him by trapping the portal jumper in Wonderland that Jefferson decided to help Rumpelstiltskin out as he never wanted to be separated from Grace especially when the rumors of Regina’s madness would have sounded too exaggerated to be real had Jefferson not witness them firsthand. For extra measure, Rumpelstiltskin decided Grace and Jefferson should stay in the castle as it proved better for everyone.

Three days after receiving the coordinates, Rumpelstiltskin made the final preparations for Neverland. He took his dagger, a few defensive trinkets and wore a black leather ensemble that would allow him to blend in within the jungles of Neverland. He was surprised not to find Belle anywhere but Ariel and Grace were quiet about her whereabouts which he tried not to think too much about as he went to meet Jefferson towards the rose garden.

“You haven’t forgotten anything?” Jefferson handed Rumpelstiltskin his hat leaving the two men shaking one another’s hand.

“I don’t think so, although I would like to see Belle before I leave.”

Jefferson turned his attention away from the sorcerer smiling back at him, “well speak of the devil.” Rumpelstiltskin turned seeing Belle running towards them wearing black leather trousers, knee high boots and a loose dark blue peasant shirt that needed to be knotted towards the side to fit her properly. Her hair now tied up in a loose bun in which some strands of her hair began to stick out.

“I’m going with you.” Belle made this statement causing Ariel and Grace to follow her where the young girl kept saying it wasn’t their idea.

Rumpelstiltskin stepped in taking Belle’s hand, “sweetheart, I don’t think it’s a good idea being in your condition to do something drastic.”

“I’m not too far along and also I won’t sit idly by making footies while you are going to a land that you hate based on a theory.”

“But Belle…”

“I should be with you as we look for Baelfire, he’s my family too and I couldn’t forgive myself if something were to happen to you.”

“Rumpelstiltskin’s right and plus the hat can only take two people at a time.” Jefferson pointed out.

Belle quickly froze not realizing this thought.

“There are some methods I have for the hat to carry three people. Just stay with me and we will be fine.” Rumpelstiltskin winked back at Belle leaving her smiling as she hugged Jefferson and kissed both Ariel and Grace goodbye.

The pair stood close to the hat with Rumpelstiltskin activating its magic causing the hat to turn purple opening a vortex that lead the couple to hold each other’s’ hand as they jumped into the vortex.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

The water started tightening their bodies as they were sinking further into the sea. Rumpelstiltskin found Belle a few inches away frightened over the thought of further sinking, Rumpelstiltskin looked up noticing the surface causing them to quickly swim up. They made it to the surface gasping for breath trying their best to cling onto one another as neither were the most excellent of swimmers. Both Belle and Rumpelstiltskin swam into the surface of the water trying to hold on to one another against the swift waves. The ocean of Neverland stretched for miles with waves pushing them back and forth where the pair would hear the occasional sound coming from the ocean leading them to quickly begin swimming.

“I thought we were going to land at the beach or at least somewhere dry.”

“Swimming in the middle of a mermaid infested ocean isn’t something I had in mind.”

“If we explain to them our situation…”

Rumpelstiltskin interrupted, “Out of the question and I don’t want either of us to be here in case we bump into one” They kept constantly trying to place their head above water as the waves continued going against them where the thunder now increase which meant they were soon to hear the sounds of the mermaids. “Hang on; I try to get us to land.” Rumpelstiltskin focused on the beach he remembered stepping foot onto as a boy with his father thinking it was a good spot to land. Rumpelstiltskin moved towards Belle clinging on to her as was becoming slowly exhausted from keeping her head on surface ground for so long. Without a second thought, Rumpelstiltskin transported them out of the water in which he was now in the middle of the jungle with only the night sky as his light.

The sorcerer looked around unable to see Belle anywhere near him. Rumpelstiltskin called for her several times but there was only silence coming to him even unable to sense the presence of both her and their child.

“You need to keep a closer eye on your trinkets laddie; you always tended to lose things.” Rumpelstiltskin turned around seeing his father sitting on a boulder smirking at him.

Nothing about Pan had changed from their last encounter, the timeless curse of Neverland allowed him to remain a fifteen year old boy reminding Rumpelstiltskin how he was traded away for the man to obtain eternal youth. The boy took his flute and began playing a tune that Rumpelstiltskin had recognized in the past where needed to get away from that trance.

“Where is she?” the sorcerer summoned a fireball aiming towards Pan.

Pan continued playing until he opened his eyes seeing Rumpelstiltskin was ready to attack him, “I have no idea what you are talking about. It seems your magic isn’t in sync here as you wanted it to be, I can always help you. You are still going on about the search for Baelfire?” Rumpelstiltskin now had him, he knew there was little chance in a bargain for Baelfire’s safety but keeping his composure intact could go a long way.

“What do you want?”

“I can give you information to Baelfire, in exchange you are now working for me and will do my bidding whenever I need my arrangements finished. You see, I lost my most trusted man from a pesky lost boy and I have been meaning to replace him. We will be working together and this time we can make up for lost cause, even Baelfire can join us to be one big happy family just as the two of you always wanted.

“No thanks.”

Pan got up from the boulder bending the trees to allow some of the night sky into the jungle. “I will be honest, your visit has been a surprise to me, and naturally I did not want this family reunion to involve your lovely friend its better she is out of your hair for a bit. I would be careful though as this island has many dangers where my hospitality is an honor.”

“Then I will take my chances.” Rumpelstiltskin turned around but to his misfortune saw Peter Pan teleported in front of him smirking with delight leaving the sorcerer increasingly nervous.

“Does that girl mean anything to you?”

“That is none of your business….” Rumpelstiltskin began thinking about the many ways where he get what was left of Pan’s heart and crush it before his very eyes.

“My my, we are a little tense. I can understand what you see in her. From the little glances I got, she’s very delectable but really laddie she is way out of your league and your track record with women hasn’t exactly been stellar.” Pan continued playing his flute when Rumpelstiltskin moved back as a cloud of black smoke appeared before him turning into his old doll presented to him.

He took the doll remembering of when he first got it and the memories surrounding it. There was a moment in which Rumpelstiltskin began to feel a tear but he had not wanted to stare into Pan once again to give him the satisfaction.

“The things we haven’t thought about in years still have the ability to make us cry.” Pan laughed when playing his flute. “Good luck finding your bride laddie, I do wish you would take my offer because I don’t want to help you pick up the pieces again when the girl leaves you for better prospects.”

Rumpelstiltskin had enough, he got up ready to lunge another fireball at Pan when to his dismay, the sprite had disappeared leaving the trees back in its natural state and the forest in pitch black. The only good view Rumpelstiltskin gained was of the doll where he picked it up clinging on it as though he were a child of eight wishing for acceptance.

There was a noise that startled the sorcerer when he discovered it was an owl. Thankful for the relapse, Rumpelstiltskin gathered the doll and walked towards the forest to find Baelfire and Belle.

888888

Belle found herself to have landed on the beach safely, she felt fine checking for all signs of the baby while trying to catch her breath.

“The next time try to transport us quickly.” Belle drank some water from her canteen handing it to Rumpelstiltskin but was perplexed when he did not take it. She turned around that her fiancé was nowhere in sight.

“Rumple? Rumpelstiltskin?” she yelled. Belle tried summoning him several times but her cries were all in vain.

She got up and picked up several seashells or brightly colored rocks putting them in her bag until it became full and headed into the island. About every couple of minutes, Belle threw one of the seashells into the ground while also taking a few strands of her hair placing into the tree bark when she carved out tally marks as she began to get the impression the island is a maze.

_Don’t worry ducky, we’re going to get out of here and afterwards we will look back at this and laugh. If I can still remember where I turned._

The jungle had several noises in the form of an occasional owl and a few crickets chirping that left Belle relieved as she began questioning her sanity. She stated to suspect it was the same tree she marked during a lengthy period but she wasn’t going to retrace her steps based on a hunch that could prove to be false. She took her dagger cutting up several leaves to see her path while being careful not to touch most of the plants grateful to have worn gloves in this trip despite the humidity giving her the temptation of wanting to take them off.

_Stay calm, there has to be clearing somewhere…_

By stepping on a twig, Belle was met a barrage of arrows being thrown at her. She began running as quick as she could while the trees were still brushing against her face and the possibility of stumbling increased. Belle wasn’t sure what was attacking but they continuing following while chanting with what faintly sounded like her own language along with several dialects from different parts of Misthaven all screaming to get her.

As Belle continued fleeing, she was then grabbed by her shirt in the back pulled into a row of bushes. Confused, she stumbled back when there was a hand placed over her mouth leaving her nervous to turn around.

“Shh, they won’t hear us if we don’t make a sound.” Said the voice of what she assumed must have been a young boy. She nodded clutching onto her stomach for dear life while listening to the footsteps of the voices becoming faint.

“All clear” the boy said. He took his hand out of Belle’s mouth getting out of the bush while helping her at the same time. Belle cleaned herself up looking at her rescuer causing her to make a second turn noticing it’s was the boy from her dreams down to the exact pattern of red and black strips painting on his face.

“Thank you. I am not from here so the area is still some getting use to.” Belle heard another noise causing the boy to grab her hand again.

“Thank me later, we have to run” She followed the boy as they ran away from what he was telling her to be lost boys who tended to capture anyone who might have stumbled into Neverland for Peter Pan’s dungeons.

They continued running until they made it to a clearing where it revealed to be a dead end surrounded by cliffs as the ocean lay down below.

“Do you trust me?” the boy asked.

Belle wasn’t sure how to respond to this answer, she didn’t know the boy but at the same time was indebted to him. “I can’t swim, I really can’t.”

“I will guide you; if not for me, do it for you baby. Please.” Giving him her hand, Belle and the boy jumped out of the cliff and into the water missing the rocks by an inch just as the lost boys arrived to find only a crown of red feathers floating amongst the waves. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

A throbbing head was the first thing Belle felt when she finally woke up. Her vision turned from blurred to clear she was in a grotto of some kind with clear blue water surrounding the area.

The bits of memory began to return as she finally became more alert regarding the mission and the boy she who had saved her. She looked at herself discovering her shirt was now substituted for a green corset like top that was made out of leaves.

She saw the rocky walls surrounded by candlelight with a few vases, blankets, candles and a notebook nearby and when she got up; there was a cauldron across from her next to the end of the grotto.

Belle got up looking around the grotto, she couldn’t find any door or a hole that gave her the means to leave the room but she wasn’t sure if there was a secret compartment from any angle. She started touching the stones to find that secret compartment while trying not to talk to herself too much over the idea.

She noticed one of the stones several drawings that were made fairly well with the material that was being used under a rocky canvas. The first drawing was of a small hovel in the middle of a grazing field along with several homes nearby with people surrounding it; the next one included a large city with tall buildings where one appeared to be of a clock tower painted in gold standing over the heavens. Belle continued moving until she stumbled upon the notebook under the rock where she picked it up and began looking at the pages.

The drawings in the sketchbooks were done much better in the paper in contrast to the ones on the rocks but both were shown to be done with the same amount of talent. Many of the places in the sketches of the same farming village and of the large city where Belle smiled over the detail. Another part of the sketches she enjoyed seeing were of animals the boys drew as it turned out he must have owned a collie when he was much younger, perhaps he drew it from memory as the dog had been older from the looks of the drawing. Several other sketches she found of Neverland where the boy found the beauty of the island underneath the night terrors Rumpelstiltskin had described it, Belle even began to have a thought on the possibility of returning for a holiday once the baby born but laughed it off when realizing at how silly the idea had been when she began to ponder it. The last sketch Belle came across was of the rare portraits which were just as done in the same care as the landscapes drawings. She recognized right away as being the portrait of Rumpelstiltskin as he one day used magic to showing her his human form. When seeing those eyes being the same as the boy, it dawned on Belle whose grotto she was in and now she needed to persuade Baelfire in leaving the island. The lines on his face were so worn that Belle could believe how hard of a life it must have been for him as a human but the sketch gave more appreciation to her true love that Belle wanted to ask Baelfire if she could possibly keep the drawing.

“What are you doing?” stated Baelfire causing Belle to jump out and hide the sketchbook in the back of her hands in a frantic matter.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” Belle moved away getting back in the bed of leaves she assumed Baelfire normally slept in when seeing the boy without his headdress and more markings across his body from paint that she almost wanted to laugh at how it reminded her of the wargames she and Gaston played when they were young.

Baelfire gave her a vase of hot substance where Belle looked at him before he started to look nervous. “It’s coconut milk, I thought you might have wanted to drink something after that nasty fall you had. I hear calcium is also good for the baby. I’m Baelfire by the way.”

She was now glad to see her suspicions were confirmed. “Belle of Avonlea. It’s nice to meet you Baelfire” Belle smiled and drank from the vase, it had a strange flavor to it but there were also something in it that resembled honey taming the sour taste. “Thank you, how long have I been asleep?”

“I am not sure as time doesn’t exist in Neverland. There were times in which you drifted in and out of consciousness where I feared the worst. After we jumped, I began swimming to the grotto and close there, I noticed you were starting to lose consciousness in which I brought you to my house and my friend arrived shortly after to check your wounds, which was why we had to change your clothes. Tink said the baby was fine where it magic was the reason you both are still alive.”

Belle placed her hand over her stomach smiling at the thought how her duckling knew they were both in danger. “The little one is already a savior in many ways.”

They both laughed when Belle felt another kick, the boy cautiously asked he could feel the kick where Belle smiled at seeing how Bae looked at peace when he began to become connect with his future sibling. It also led him tear up at the sight in which Belle looked at him concerned when he began touching his face. “Sorry ma’am but Neverland had only boys where the occasional adults come from Pan so not use to seeing a female adult especially one with a baby. I have always liked babies where sometimes I wished on my birthdays when I was younger about wanting to have a younger sibling to play with.”

Belle now knew she had to tell Baelfire who she was although she still looked at the sketchbook then back at him. “It’s okay sweetie, I am still sometimes unable to grasp that I am will be a mother soon.”

“What are you doing here then?” Baelfire got up gathering another candle to light it up.

“I came here with my fiancé, we were trying to locate our son Neverland was the location spell told us he would be although we got separated when arriving.”

Baelfire began to ponder on who her child could be amongst the many children brought here, “I haven’t noticed all of the toddlers that get brought here but I can ask Tink to make some inquiries.”

“No there is no need, my son is fifteen.” Belle continued laughing when she saw Baelfire looked more confused and believed her to be a madwoman.

“No offense ma’am, but there is no way you could possibly have a child of that age.”

“Sorry I meant he’s my stepson although I have been hearing so much about him where it feels as though he were already my own.”

Both Belle and Baelfire got up when Balefire took the rock from where he hide the sketchbook and moved it to the side showing a rock moving from the opposite direction. Belle began to mentally kick herself at not thinking about the rock from the edge before but she assumed there was an opening through the pond. The pair walked from the grotto and into the passageway where Belle asked Baelfire about his life in Neverland in which the boy revealed to her about Pan being after him because he had murdered Pan’s second in command in an act of revenge after the pirate had sold him to Pan’s pixie dust mines because he refused to join the pirate’s crew. Belle can sense there was more to the story but she didn’t want to make him any more comfortable as where she couldn’t fathom living as a prisoner.

“How did you escape?”

“Pan’s consort Tinkerbell helped me, told me some things about Pan that made sense as to why I wasn’t allowed to be whipped when slacking off. She hid me in this grotto and where she checks up on me once a month and I have been doing nothing causing her grief in trying to outsmart Pan since as I have been trying to find a way to leave this island. If it is possible to go back home, I would do it in a heartbeat. Expect, everyone I have known has long since been dead.”

“That’s not true.” Belle stated causing Baelfire to stop surprised to her response. “I bet you have a mother who wants you….” She hesitated for a moment to say the last one. “Possibly a father?”

“Baelfire stopped laughing back at Belle. “My mother has long since been dead even before I found out her true fate. As for my father, let’s just say if you knew who he really was, you would be saying that I am better off away from him.”

 _Like father, like son._ “Maybe your father has changed, perhaps Rumple realized his mistake and has been going through every single idea imaginable to find you and apologize.”

“Even if that true, there’s no way that papa…” Baelfire stepped back lunging his dagger back at Belle who quickly rose her hands up. “How do you know my father’s name? Who are you?”

Belle sighed at how difficult this would become. “Rumpelstiltskin is…”

Baelfire’s face went from annoyance to anger when he withdrew his dagger away from Belle. “My father is a liar! He could never have changed, how do you know he won’t take away your child from you!”

Belle needed to reassure the boy placing her hand into his shoulder, “No, that’s not true, he’s my…”

“Don’t touch me. Leave me alone…” Baelfire began crying as he ran off from her.

Baelfire wait…..” Belle began chasing down Baelfire while mentally becoming annoyed at herself for not opening her mouth sooner. _Damn it Belle, stupid stupid. Just tell him who you are and try to explain it to him better._

As Belle left the cave, she found herself in a clearing. She looked at the ground seeing some footprints and began to follow them when she felt another sharp object etched towards her back.

“Look Bae, I’m so..” before Belle knew it, her mouth was gagged with at least a dozen of lost boys surrounding her pointing with daggers and spears. One of the boys tied her wrists up as she looked down into her abdomen and back at the boys, fighting the will to scream when she saw Baelfire tied up as well although screaming for her release.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you lassie….” From the surrounding boys the voice came into the background emerging in the middle of the clearing. A black puff of smoke came next to her revealing a teenage boy dressed in black and green. The boy touched her face inspecting her back and forth as though she were an object giving Belle a grin that left her wanting to be purified within the next five minutes. When the boy placed his hands on her stomach, Belle immediately kicked his legs where one of the boys strike her back.

“Take her gag off.” Pan ordered struggling to speak as one of the lost boys took their knife cutting the gag between Belle’s mouth nicking her lips causing her to taste the iron of her blood. Pan composed himself inspecting Belle once again pressing his hands between her cheeks. “Rumple has good taste, I will give him that. This isn’t the best way I was planning for us to finally meet but you were rather difficult to find.”

“Let the girl go.”

Pan then turned his attentions back towards Baelfire who started struggling when Pan touched his face. “You have been a difficult person to acquire in such a small island.”

Quickly Pan threw a pair of wings at Belle that caused the other boys to squirm in fear over their leader while Bae began gasping at the realization on whose wings they were. “Why you evil monster, what have you done to her!”

Peter Pan looked at them smiling sinisterly. “Call it an error for keeping secrets from me. I must say it does warm my cold heart to see both my grandson and daughter in law.” Belle’s legs were beginning to shake as she tried to maintain her breathing as she began untying the knots from her binds of her wrists curtesy of the knot techniques Philip decided to teach one day when they were bored after working the field one afternoon. hse . Pan placed her dagger in front of her between her cheeks nicking then as she felt the blood dripping into her neck.

“Wait!” Belle yelled, “Let Baelfire go, Rumpel and I are much more valuable to you.” Baelfire looked back at Belle shocked at her claim

“Why would you think I have any interest in Rumpelstiltskin, he is welcome to leave anytime he so wishes.” This took Belle by surprise when he placed his hands on her abdomen giving her an inspecting glance. “It seems you were not lying about being much valuable as a child of true love can be exactly what I need.”

Belle’s eyes widened when she heard this news and Pan started laughing at seeing her squirm from her captors. “I am not someone to be underestimated with.” She declared to him and the lost boys freeing her hands and kicking the boy behind her then she started to push the boys away until she gathered one of the vials from her pocket hoping it was the one she needed. Smiling as she looked into the vial, Belle opened it causing a cloud of smoke to appear leaving the lost boys all frozen.

“Baelfire?” Belle pondered when she noticed he nor was Pan among the frozen statues.

“Impressive stunt lass.” Belle turned around seeing Peter Pan hanging on a tree playing flute. “Tell the worm I want his dagger in exchange for Baelfire although you would still make a better ransom.” She placed herself on another vial transporting to another part of the island before Pan could get her.

“You stupid, stupid girl!! Baelfire trusted you and this happened….” Belle began kicking a tree trunk until her feet were straining from the constant pressure of her foot within the bark. From seeing the terrain, the beach wasn’t too far down towards the hill in which Belle her head and continued walking hoping she could figure out a plan in the meantime.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

Rumpelstiltskin began to believe as though he had been in wondering in Neverland for days if not weeks as he placed the markings on his face. The long stretches of time combined with his own powers of being the dark one made it impossible for him to stop and rest as he continued to have endless amounts of energy. Time was non-existence in Neverland leading to its inhabitants unable to age and nothing could ever possibly grow, even to die for the next generation to take over. It would explain why humans were never able to live in Neverland without paying the price of their own lives where the sorcerer wondered if Pan’s sentencing was either a blessing or a curse since it meant he was bound by the land that was worth abandoning his family for.

He also knew not to trust Pan about being left alone, Neverland itself was a maze filled with trees and coastlines making it almost impossible to tell which direction to turn if the fate intended is to never meet the mermaids of Neverland. If Bae was a challenge, Belle was downright impossible to find. At first the easiest option was to call her, but it also meant that Pan would know where their location could be if the sprite himself wasn’t already aware of it. For a while, Rumple spent his time at the beach leaving the fire until it smothered out in order for Belle to reach him while at the same time trying not to go mad as he would tell himself she was fine and probably planning on a method to reach for him.

The maze of the jungle was beginning to drive Rumpelstiltskin mad once again where in a fit of frustration, he placed several lost boys in a sleeping curse after he warned them not to call out for Pan. He could not have cared less if they could never have woken up as many of the children had long since given up their freedom to grow up to live in the paradise of Neverland. When he put the second batch of children into the sleeping curse, Rumpelstiltskin noticed one of the trees had a small piece of blue cloth along with three carvings. The cloth was nailed onto the carvings with a strand of hair coiling it together. Rumpelstiltskin took the cloth and hair for a closer inspection seeing how it was the same distinct auburn tint as Belle’s locks.

Smiling at the clues Belle handed him, Rumpelstiltskin went into the direction of the tree finding some of the seashells from the beach within the rocks of the forest and several other strands of hair in different trees all increasing their carvings. By the time he got to a fifteen carvings, the clues stopped along with the seashells in what was now part of a jungle path towards a dead end.

The strands of hair were enough to be used in the locator spell but Rumple only brought enough for one were Belle would have been cross at the idea of the potion being used on her for a minute task. Rather than worrying about her feelings, the sorcerer took out the potion getting hair strands bundled up together until he heard a faint call of his own name.

_Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin!_

Quickly the sorcerer placed the vial back into his pocket and teleported himself to where the sounds might have been the strongest. He found himself back into the area where the children were sleeping when he heard a noise in the bushes causing him to lunge with his dagger.

The bushes made more noises when Belle emerged wondering what she had just walked into but tearing up when she saw Rumpelstiltskin just a few feet from her.

“Rumple” she whispered causing the two to run towards each other embracing one another kissing most of their faces in an effort to avoid the lips while Rumpelstiltskin dried the tears on Belle’s face. “Pan has Baelfire.”

She began crying when Rumpelstiltskin needed to embrace her again. “Belle calm down, what are you talking about?”

“I found Baelfire; he nursed me back to healthy after I got sick. We had fight but Pan discovered out location and now wants us to turn ourselves in for Bae’s safety.” Already Belle could see there was something in the sorcerer’s thoughts that left her nervous and thrilled all at once. “Rumple, Pan wants your dagger and our unborn baby.”

Rumpelstiltskin looked at the doll after mercifully avoiding it since he had arrived. It still has the same etchings where there was no mistaken of the level of care given to it after all these years. A gift of this needed to be placed on a pedestal with an occasional glance and a warm smile the recipient was not someone Rumpelstiltskin could forget easily.

Peter Pan was not his father but his father became Peter Pan.

He looked at some of the branches seeing one of flowers he recognized to have dream shade, a deadly toxin which many monarchs throughout Misthaven would have given all their power order to obtain one of its spores. The sorcerer took the flower; gather its spores and putting the poison into the point of his dagger.

Belle got ahold of the locator spell from Rumple’s jacket along with the sketchbook she regretted taking when she chased after the boy. They mixed the potion into the leather bound cover pointing the green light to the west where they followed each other’s lead into battle.

**888888**

Peter Pan arrived in Skull Rock with Baelfire who was now bound up in the wrists and hands. Already dreading the possibility of becoming a sacrifice, Baelfire looked around the interior of the mysterious rock he always associated with death.

He still wasn’t able to comprehend the idea of his father arriving to Neverland. He never considered it to be impossible as Tink always reminded him Neverland was a magical land also where his arrival always had the highest percentage increase in occurring. Much time has gone by for Baelfire to have considered his own father’s predicament between meeting the pirate who broke up his family to accepting the strange fact Peter Pan was his grandfather where his father being the dark one appeared to be just a natural part of the course.

“Magnificent isn’t it?” declared Pan admiring the alter leaving Baelfire in a nervous state when spotting the mouth of the skull placed towards the end as an entrance to Pan’s bottomless volcanic pit that  has long been considered one of his favorite torture methods.

“I guess, not much of a fan regarding decoration.” He looked nauseated by the several various forms of skulls in decay from the back while there lay a stadium to carry the inhabitants inside the cave.

It was wrong and boy took made it clear of his disgust towards his captor.

“Do you really think you can just kill me and everything will somehow magically solve itself?” Pan gathered a small rock placing it towards the mouth of skull rock as they listened to the sounds of the lave river, the rock went into the crackling noises and all was heard were the continuing noises from the fires down below.

“At least, I will be able to be rid of you and that worm of your father.”

Pan quickly transported Baelfire into the alter bound up with only his trousers and war paint keeping him covered when Pan himself changed his clothing from green to pure black wearing war paint throughout his face but only this time it gave the appearance they were symbols.

Baelfire closed his eyes hoping it was quick. He could have considered himself having lived a long life even if most of it had been staying in an island ruled by an ageless monster, he wanted to see his father again if possible and apologize to the girl as well as see his baby sibling be born, but it was not yet to be for him once again. Before Bae realized it, there was a dart already thrown through his shoulders by one of Pan’s instruments. The substance from the dart quickly left Baelfire dazed and confused not becoming realized several other darts were thrown at him.

He began to see the farming village from his childhood. The smell of lamb and wool were common throughout the home as well as the varnish his papa used to clean up the wool before he started cleaning it prior to smelling. The smell was so strong causing Baelfire to leave the house for hours playing with his friends in the area. One game they were sometimes fond of been going towards the lake nearby and spending the time all believing to be pirates and mermaids in an afternoon of swimming. The varnish residue continued staying within the hovel for the next two days were at times Rumpelstiltskin would promise to open the door or go outside when placing the larger doses.

He remembered a large fire from the hovel always lit at all hours, the home would warm even during the coldest winters. One instant thought Baelfire remembered had been sleeping on his favorite wool blanket by the fire after spending some hours drawing or enjoying the leisure of the evening

Baelfire shed a few tears at the memories he began to have. Pan continued throwing darts at him causing the residue to leave the boy screaming in pain, Pan continued yelling how both he and father deserve everything they receive for ruining his life. Baelfire continued becoming so dazed he hardly care whatever Pan continued screaming and would have wanted nothing than to just have him to keep quiet for his last moments to be at peace.

_He’s still going?_ Baelfire closed his eyes again when he heard another faint noises that were still getting him drowsy and dazed. He continued fighting to keep his consciousness when he started having auditory hallucinations as the next sounds Baelfire he swore were of his father followed by a few tugs on his arm from a familiar feminine voice.

**88888**

The green residue from the locator spell allowed Rumpelstiltskin and Belle to follow its lead. Belle already began holding onto her dagger at any moment’s length. Several times Rumpelstiltskin teleported them when it became evident how far the trail had continued until they reached a cliff that showed down below the base of skull rock surrounded by a body of water and a narrow pathway that most of the time was covered due to the tide. The pair went down the rocky stairs going nearly stumbling when they made it down causing some noises to let a few of the lost boys scouting to check the terrains followed by walking towards the narrow path as each moment they would turn around as to avoid getting caught.

“Wait” Belle halted Rumpelstiltskin from walking into the opening of the cave. “We can’t just go in there without a battle plan, Pan probably has more guards and neither of us are exactly skilled in combat.”

Rumplesitltskin took a pebble throwing it in the crevice of the mouth showing Belle’s instincts to be correct as the rock bounced back. Belle inspected at the rock trying to see what was going on when the sorcerer looked around seeing how bright the moon was shining towards the barrier were he acknowledged his shadow for the first time since arriving.

_The shadow!_

“It is our shadows, Pan has blocked anyone from coming in because we have shadows.” The sorcerer formed an incantation towards the moon causing it to turn towards the opposite direction leaving the sky now in a state of darkness. Belle saw the barrier visibly disappear leaving for the pair to softly walk through when they found their theory to be correct and walked into the cave.

Belle looked more nervous when she held the sorcerer’s hands as they witness the various skulls from different parts of their pathways while there were a few decomposed bodies that left Belle shocked and Rumpelstiltskin disgusted until he looked at another pair of bones which noticed the clothing surrounding it were shown to be black leather holding a hook in what was once the poor fellow’s right hand when he recognized the red vest the skeleton was wearing.

The sorcerer sneered as he walked through the skull crushing it causing Belle to give a small gasp while she hoped it was an accident but she was not going to pay much attention to the poor soul’s body as they needed to continue going further. The rocky corridor send them down a staircase in which they could see an alter with a skull rock revealing a sinister smile causing the pair to look at one another with worry when seeing a body in the alter at closer inspection to find it to be Baelfire.

Just when Rumpelstiltskin began to throw a fireball, the sorcerer felt a small hand touching his. “Come on” Belle whispered, getting his hand as she helped him go further down quickly while trying not to look further to hear the screaming from Baelfire

“Filthy insignificant vermin!”

They could hear Pan ranting, Belle quietly looked up seeing Pan was throwing sharp darts into Baelfire who was now somewhat wounded and groaning from the constant wounds he continued to receive.

“I will go around back and distract Pan, you get Baelfire out and afterwards run back to the beach. Jefferson’s hat should be amongst the rocks towards a clearing.” Rumpelstiltskin handed Belle the remaining items on his pockets telling her to put within her satchel.

“You are going to meet us Rumple?” Belle already knew the answer of what the sorcerer was going to see but he tried not to look back at her. She kissed his cheek leaving them both hug one another,  “Baelfire and I are already proud you.”

He smiled back at her when as they split up. Rumplestiltskin saw Belle going into the back in an attempt not to be seen by Pan, the sorcerer teleported towards the beginning of the staircase trying his best not to look back at Baelfire as the groaning was too much for him. He saw Pan going into the back gathering another instrument when the sorcerer took made a fireplace and threw it towards the instrument where he quickly teleported before Pan saw anyone but it allowed for the sprite to halter his instruments and inspect what was going on.

The distraction allowed Belle to quickly move to Baelfire. He was so wounded with blood on his chest and arms that Belle wanted to Pan to have disintegrated quickly, “shh honey, it will be okay.” Baelfire opened his black eyes getting faint glances at Belle who smiled at him as she kissed his hand.

“Be-Belle…” a hoarse sound came out of Bae.

She got the last of the rope untied, lifting Baelfire from the table proving to be a harder task than Belle assumed due to his build over her height. “We’re getting you out of here”

“Where exactly can you leave?” Belle froze as the pair looked to find Peter Pan staring at them ready to use his own magic. “Let’s play then.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

“Come on, Bae. We have to go” Belle quickly began getting Baelfire whilst Peter Pan started pushing them further into the cave’s mouth causing Belle to push the alter back when she realized her legs were bound to the straps placed on the alter.

Pan continued pushing them when he felt another cloud of smoke pushing him causing Pan to turn and find Rumpelstiltskin holding both his dagger and a murderous glance. “Neither of them have magic so the fight would seem to be fair.”

Belle got her dagger cutting up the straps trapping her when she tried picking up Baelfire pushing one another towards another rock as she tried to get them out of the Skull rock without either being hit, however, Pan noticed them and immediately froze both Belle and Baelfire who she was now stuck embracing as she had a view of Rumpelstiltskin staring at her then back at Pan.

“So the worm does have legs after all. Maybe they will enjoy having a front row seat as I finally get rid of the bane of the world. Pan threw his sword towards Rumpelstiltskin when the Dark One transform his dagger into a sword causing the pair to fight.

Rumpelstiltskin continued swinging his sword towards Pan while the sprite full more into a rage allowing the sorcerer to use his magic towards wounding Pan who began falling down still getting his sword while the sorcerer threw the weapon to the sides drawing the dagger to the tip of Pan’s face.

“Why can’t I be free of you? A pink, swarmy little larva that ate way all my hopes, money and never let me have my dreams.”

Seeing his father now on the floor weak and trembling left Rumpelstiltskin to feel some twinge of sympathy while also angry that he will still find a way to murder him at first glance, “You had three centuries to rule your domain over all. Not once have you been placed in my thoughts within a five minute span from a sparse amount of time since you tried to kidnap Baelfire years ago. I never needed to join you nor do I wish to understand you.”

Rumpelstiltskin gave his hand to Pan where the sprite took it ready to use his last dagger from his belt laced in dream shade when the sorcerer embraced him for a hug. Peter Pan quickly took the embrace ready to strike back when he felt a sharp pain towards his back.

“Rumple, what are you doing?” Rumpelstiltskin continued digging his dagger into Pan causing the sprite to transform back into the older man he now remembered as a child causing Belle and Baelfire to gain their mobility where Belle was happy to move and seeing Baelfire was now gone of his all his wounds and beatings.

“Finally freeing us papa.” The sorcerer turned around looking at Belle who was now crying at his decision while he smiled to her mouthing out to her and Baelfire he is fine whilst Peter Pan continued stumbling to maintain little amount of his strength pushing them towards the pit.

“Suit yourself.” Pan pushed them towards the pit where Belle screamed seeing Pan and Rumpelstiltskin jump into the cave leaving her to run towards the cave finding Rumpelstiltskin clinging to the edge with Peter Pan pulling the sorcerer’s legs scratching his legs in an effort for Rumpelstiltskin to lose his grip.

The shot of fire balls shot up from the pit leaving Belle nervous as she grabbed Rumpelstiltskin’s hand when Baelfire arrived shortly afterwards to help her. Rumpelstiltskin now felt his own life becoming quickly drained between the poison infecting Pan and Pan’s own effort of stabbing his leg with his own dagger. He glanced back at his father who was now smiling at him screaming he always won when he placed one last stab into his ankle causing the sorcerer to scream so embrace so much pain that he kicked Pan off leading the sprite to fall towards the edge of the pit burning himself to death.

“Hurry, help me get him.” Yelled Belle to Baelfire who got his father’s other hand pulling him with a strained Belle pushing herself in getting him up.

“Belle please….”

“No!” Belle interrupted him. “Damn it Rumple. I refuse for our children to become fatherless.” She used all her strength with Rumpelstiltskin helping her getting him out of the pit leading him to fly out of the cave and landing on Belle leading them to have true love’s kiss.

Out of the many thoughts Belle had when it came towards kissing Rumpelstiltskin, a cave towards the centre of Neverland had been the furthest from her mind. She had forgotten how soft his lips where when he pulled her closer to him in which she noticed his legs were kicking away from her. They both release each other when she noticed his skin was now a tan color as he resembled the painting she found in Baelfire’s sketchbook although much younger and hair now brown with a few silver strands.

“I was trying to tell you to pull me closer as my legs were beginning to give out.”

“You meant to tell me that you only kissed me so that way I wouldn’t drag a corpse out?” Belle hit his chest causing the sorcerer to chuckle.

“You’re not the only who refuses for your children to remain fatherless.” Both got up when seeing Baelfire who looked perplexed at seeing his father in his original form and Belle standing behind them. “Hello Bae.”

“Papa” the boy quickly hugged the sorcerer who knelt down holding Baelfire tightly. “I’m sorry for everything.”

“No Bae, you shouldn’t be sorry. I was the coward and refused to give happiness a chance.” He got up getting Belle ‘s hand towards Baelfire who were both smiling at one another. “This is my fiancée, Belle.”

“Hello Baelfire, like I said your father really has changed.” The boy hugged Belle crying as she continued apologizing to her for earlier that Belle took her scarf and gave it to Baelfire as a handkerchief in wiping away the tears and war paint.

“Shall we go home then?” Baelfire asked pleading at adults who were smiling at one another.

“Yes let’s go home. Although we will need to make at least two stops.” Belle groaned when she remembered the issue of the hat but it was to be brushed aside as they walked out of the stairs and leaving the cave.

On their route to the beach, Baelfire suggested if they stopped by his grotto to collected some personal items where they each agreed to it when Baelfire headed to the grotto as they waited outside with the boy coming back ten minutes later with a blanket, pencil kit but an upset scowl.

“What’s wrong?” asked Belle.

“My sketchbook, the one I saw you with earlier. I must have misplaced it.”

Belle began to giggle when she remembered it was in her possession taking it out of her satchel and giving it back to him. “It lead us to you and might I add that you are a talented artist.”

Baelfire blushed at the compliment where they started heading back to the beach.

“Can you do magic?” asked Baelfire when they were close to the front as Rumpelstiltskin started looking for the hat.

The sorcerer wasn’t sure how to answer it when he found the hat and summoned its powers. “It appears I still have all my power, expect my scales it seems.”

“There are something I will have to get use to.” Belle winked back at Rumpelstiltskin who was taken back by her when Baelfire looked weirded out by the comment and brushed it aside to not wanting to know. Belle grabbed Baelfire close to her when Rumpelstiltskin took a tea cake that Belle started laughing when she recognized its substance.

“That was your back up plan? Jefferson said those cakes are ridiculous.

“That’s because the hatter hates had too many unpleasant of Wonderland to embrace a few hours of size changes.” Rumpelstiltskin ate the cake and puff of purple smoke emerged when it dissipated, Belle and Baelfire were quick to see the sorcerer was now the size of a teacup.

Belle  placed her hand on him as he got up there holding on to her thumb as the trio jumped into the hat leaving Neverland once and for all.

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Getting back to the Dark Castle was an easier task than they believed when they returned to the parlor finding Ariel and Jefferson sleeping together on the couch with Grace by the fireplace holding a book. The flash of light them to diverted their attention towards Rumpelstiltskin who was now back in regular size as Belle and Baelfire were now behind him.

“Glad you made it” explained Jefferson. “another week without you and I would have probably claimed possession of everything.” Jefferson got up seeing Baelfire looking nervous at the sight around him as Ariel and Grace got up to greet Belle and Rumpelstiltskin. “Hello, you must be Baelfire. My name is Jefferson and this is my daughter Grace and that is Belle’s companion Miss Ariel.”

“Hi” the boy smiled shaking Jefferson’s hand as well as Grace’s who began smiling at him where when he got to Ariel, she hugged the boy before speaking as it became apparent to him the girl was a mute.

“Ariel, can you make us some tea in the library” The mermaid fled towards the kitchen when Jefferson began to follow her before Rumpelstiltskin caught his cravat, “slow down Romeo. I want you to put Grace to bed and I will see you tomorrow.” Handing him back his hat where Jefferson held it tightly as he was grateful nothing about it was damaged.

Rumpelstiltskin left the parlor seeing as Jefferson took an overly eager Grace to bed who began complaining about not feeling sleepy throughout the trip as she waved back to Baelfire who was smiling and waving back at her.

The trio went into the library where Ariel already had the tea and snacks ready for them as she hugged Belle when the girls wished one another a good night when the redhead subtly flashed something to Belle from her hand that it caused the brunette to glee in happiness from the news.

“They are very close” Rumpelstiltskin pointed out to Baelfire who found the whole exchange amusing.

“It appears our darling Jefferson is now courting Ariel. So let it be known that I know what I am talking about when it comes to matchmaking.” Belle gathered her tea placing the milk and sugar whilst pouring a cup of honey milk into Baelfire’s cup.

“How will I ever doubt your wisdom.”

Belle tried not to pay attention to the sarcastic portion when as they were all sat down in the small table staring at one another nervously considering the new arrangement.

“Papa, you will have to give me some time as I have just spent the last century trying to keep myself alert from any dangers.” He took one of the finger sandwiches scarfing down on them where Belle handed him a napkin and a glass of water.

“I understand. You do have to know I still have my magic as it is important throughout the lands but I no longer have any use for power.”

“I would have assumed so.” Belle placed her hands towards Rumpelstiltskin’s followed by Baelfire. “You are welcome to be part of family as it does seem to be growing every single day from the looks of it.”

They each smiled praising a toast as they spend the remainder of the night pondering through the library.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

**Three Months Later**

After a few days, Baelfire had easily gotten use to living in the Dark Castle and spending time with Rumpelstiltskin. When Belle first showed him what was, the boy became overwhelmed discovering all of his items had been there as his father preserved the room ready with the prospect of him returning. The news caused him for a few days sleep in the gardens close by the lake where he would sometimes bump into Ariel who would have her nightly swim. After it became too cold to stay in a long period of time, Baelfire finally made it into a habit of staying in his room as he began to decorate with sketches of memories he saw in Neverland and began to tell Belle stories of a place he went to called London describing the place as foggy and fascinating when telling them about their underground horseless carriage system as well as parks named after their kings and queens.

Belle was so enthralled by the stories of Baelfire where Rumpelstiltskin began to make a comment about perhaps Belle was in fact his actual mother. This led for Belle and Baelfire to get a bit nervous around one another where after a month of the living situation, Baelfire began calling Belle mother where he originally only said it as a means to not confuse the baby.

As Baelfire and Belle were becoming better acquainted, Rumpelstiltskin continued leaving the castle for status reports regarding the situation with Regina. Although he no longer needed her to activate the curse, she was still going forth and causing destruction as her forces were losing between the army of Snow White and her shepherd while also having King George as her ally. The sorcerer refused to speak to Regina after Belle came back for the fear he would have murdered her in retaliation but as he continued learning about what had happened, Rumpelstiltskin began to sympathize with his former student as he heard some rumors of her keeping a vault full of hearts just like her mother.

The night of her execution, Rumpelstiltskin arrived with a dead woman in his possession who after some priming and a cloaking spell could have been mistaken for Regina. Hiding his new face from Regina, Rumpelstiltskin gave her one last chance at a new life away where she never had to worry about revenge in exchange she would have had to lose her all magic. Regina wasn’t sure about the plan even suspecting Rumpelstiltskin would have double crossed when the sorcerer gladly told her there wasn’t any tricks just she would lose her magic thus reversing much of the damage she had invoked.

Regina saw no other options and took the deal causing Rumpelstiltskin to place the dead body in her bed with the excuse she had poisoned herself after her father smuggled in an item he was not aware. He then sent her to a cabin where her father was waiting and instructed them to sail towards the land of Nottingham as it was so far that her being recognized was going to be impossible. Just before Regina left, the former queen hugged her mentor wishing him happiness while he smiled back at her giving her a kiss in the forehead.

Exhausted, the sorcerer teleported himself back to the castle seeing Baelfire in the parlor reading by the fireplace wrapped up in his blanket which was a sight he had not thought he would have ever seen again.

“You were gone pretty late.” The boy stated when Rumpelstiltskin hugged him getting a cup of tea from the heated pot.

“One last deal I had to finish, Ariel probably regained her voice by now or by morning depending on what time that mermaid decides to get up.”

“Papa, thank you for trying. I am not asking you to have a deadline in changing but I am glad you are trying for me, Belle and the baby.”

The sorcerer was about to talk when Ariel marched into the room regaining her breath. “It’s time”

Baelfire and Rumpelstilskin ran towards Belle’s room as Grace and Ariel were helping her keep comfortable and telling her to relax as the baby was not long for another few hours. The procedure had been a getting grueling where Jefferson and Baelfire needed to calm the sorcerer down before Ariel would have ordered him to leave the room.

“Come on, I can see the head already. Now push” Ariel shouted when Belle listening and squeezing the hands of her fiancé and stepson so tightly that everyone was under the impression Belle must have now been taken by another personality due to her impatience.

She continued pushing for another hour until the baby arrived kicking and screaming with Ariel trying to clean him up from the crowd.

Rumpelstiltskin and Belle kissed one another “You did it” he told her when she kissed Baelfire also hugging her as he began saying he was nervous about her in the beginning of the procedure with Jefferson and Grace both congratulating them”

“It’s a boy” Ariel presented the baby in a white blanket his father presented to Belle during the baby shower. “and he is gorgeous.”

“Gideon” proclaimed Belle as both her and Rumpelstiltskin began laughing at how it was the only boy name they managed to agree on after assuming for months the baby was going to be a girl leaving an entire list of girls ready at their disposal.

Gideon began to quiet down as his parents and Baelfire were cooing over him with the guests happy to see him.

“Jefferson, Grace, I think we should leave them alone for now.” The hatter agree following Ariel when Grace closed the door behind them.

Baelfire took the baby as Belle lay back in her pillow exhausted after spending hours in labor while Rumpelstiltskin began to sooth her. “Hey Giddy, its me Baelfire. I’m your brother and over there is mama and papa. We’ve been waiting for you for quite a while.

Gideon placed his hand over Baelfire’s nose with the pair amused by the sight. He turned to give the baby back to Belle who now straightened herself up in holding her son. “He looks like his father.”

Rumpelstiltskin started laughing. “Let us not curse the child, he looks exactly like his mother.”

“Flatterer” kissing him on the lips as they were in awe of the newborn.

“We can now begin anew.” Declared Baelfire when Belle and Rumpesltiltskin looked back at him then at Gideon.

Rumpelstiltskin kissed Gideon holding Baelfire close. “We have now a happy beginning.”


End file.
